1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automotive accessories. More specifically, the invention is an apparatus for illuminating the wheels of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous systems have been developed for providing improved visualization of the wheels of vehicles at night. Some of the most significant advances in the art have centered around the development of passive reflectors and parking lights. However, none of the references herein described provides a lighting apparatus which is adapted for mounting on the brake shield of a wheel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,153, issued to Scott, discloses a lighting system for vehicle wheels and comprises a disk assembly which facilitates the electrical attachment of a rotating light with a stationary electrical power source of a vehicle. Further, the invention includes a mounting system for mounting a disk to the lugs of the vehicle on the inside of the wheel. The disk comprises first and second coaxially mounted electrically conductive rings which remain in continuous electrical contact when rotated relative to each other. The mounting system includes an electrically conductive portion and an insulator portion which electrically separates the mounting assembly from the first and second ring; the electrically conductive portion of the mounting means being used to electrically ground the rotating lights.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,431, issued to Park, relates to a lighting apparatus for mounting on vehicle wheels. The apparatus comprises a light unit fixed on a wheel member and a miniature magnetometer characterized by its rotor being coaxial with the wheel to produce power by rotation following the rotation of wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,144, issued to DiMaggio, discusses an illuminating wheel cover comprising a momentary rotating mercury switch which gathers mercury during rotation and causes a momentary electrical connection to illuminate light emitting diodes arranged to create an illusionary effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,100, issued to Di Gaetano, presents a vehicle wheel well illumination device, comprising a pair of light sources and a resilient rod interconnecting the light sources in a spaced apart configuration. The resilient rod is capable of elastic deformation under a manual bending effort to bring the rod into a condition suitable to enter a wheel well of a vehicle. Discontinuance of the bending effort causes the rod to partially recover its original form, frictionally engaging the wheel well and causing it to be thereby retained in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,426, issued to Cabanatan et al., discloses a set of automotive wheel lights for illuminating the wheels of an automobile in operation at night, comprising a plurality of lights, one for each wheel, each mounted on the frame of the automobile near a-respective wheel. Each light includes a light bulb in a socket, held fixed at its lighting position at the lighting end of a rigid arm bent towards the wheel of the automobile and mounted onto and extending from the automobile; the light bulb is encased in a protective light bulb cover and lens in one which directs illumination onto the entire outside surface of the wheel. The light bulb in the socket is electrically connected to the power source of the automobile sharing a single switching control with the parking lights and headlights of the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,630, issued to Williams, Jr., relates to an apparatus for lighting a wheel rotatably mounted on a frame of a vehicle including a source of current mounted on the frame of the vehicle, a commutator mounted to the wheel for rotation therewith, at least one light bulb, and a brush electrically connected to the source of current and mounted to the frame adjacent the commutator. The brush has a contact portion for contacting the commutator to provide a flow of current from the battery to the commutator so as to power the light bulb. The apparatus is adaptable to cars, motorcycles, and semi-truck wheels, whether the wheels are mounted as singles or as duals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,035, issued to Aichele, discloses a wheel lighting apparatus for use on a vehicle wheel rotatably mounted on a vehicle body. The wheel lighting apparatus includes a chamber mounted to the wheel with a portion of the chamber formed from material which permits the transmission of light therethrough. A light transmitting member is provided for transmitting light from the light source to outside the chamber. The light transmitting member also has a light conducting portion and a light emitting surface. The light received by the light receiving surface travels through the light conducting portion to the light emitting surface where the light is emitted in a predetermined pattern adjacent the wheel. An electrical connector device is provided to connect a power source mounted on the vehicle body to the light source. The electrical connector device includes a pair of circular rings of electrically conductive material mounted to the wheel and electrically insulated therefrom. The electrical connector device also includes a pair of contactors mounted to the body, each having an electrically conductive, movable contact portion in electrical contact with their respective circular rings. A pair of electrical conductors are provided for electrically connecting the terminals of the power source to the light source through the flexible contact portion of flexible connectors and their respective rings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,877, issued to Powell et al., discusses a lighted hubcap including a cap body that has an outboard side and an opposing inboard side. When the cap body is secured to the wheel of a passenger vehicle, the outboard side faces away from the vehicle. At least one light emitter is incorporated in the cap body so that it emits light from the outboard side of the cap body when energized. A permanent magnet assembly is pivotally secured to the cap body and weighted so that the permanent magnet assembly is in a generally fixed orientation with respect to the passenger vehicle. Electrically conducting windings are secured to the inboard side concentrically about the permanent magnet assembly and are connected to the light emitters. The windings are in magnetic flux coupling relationship with the permanent magnet assembly so that, upon rotation of the wheel, alternating current is generated in the winding for energizing the light emitters.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,194, issued to Currie, discusses an optical fiber illumination device, and, finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,692, issued to Papadakis, discloses an automotive vehicle wheel illumination and light reflective system for an automotive vehicle having at least one rotatable wheel, comprising a light source mounted to the vehicle, light transmission means operatively associated with the light source, and reflective surface means for reflecting light to produce a visual light illumination effect.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a lighted wheel rim system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.